I know what you’re thinking… “Has Jerry lost it?”

No way. Not even close!

Chris in my office sent me this crazy article about a dentist and a couple friends who competed in a contest sponsored by NASA, to invent a space suit waste removal system…

And, while the dentist didn’t come in first, her team did come in 2nd place, netting the trio a cool $10,000.

The article is here.

Dr. Katherine Kin is the dentist. (Way to go Katherine!)

There are some great lessons here for the astute marketer to take advantage of. At least four are:

  • The contest and entering is fun news to share with patients
  • Winning a prize is even more exciting and fun news to share
  • Creating and existing in a category of one
  • Leveraging Celebrity in local marketing

For decades and decades, maybe well over 200 years, individuals have entered all sorts of contests because it’s fun and can make for a notorious spectacle. Take the race for the White House. At nearly every election, there is at least one person who is running not to win, but for publicity. It makes for conversation. And, that is an important point. If your customers are talking about you, they are not talking about anyone else.

People are attracted to winners. If you can win contests like this, it makes for an even better story. And, you’ll naturally attract more new patients and do a better job of retaining patients. I have a long-time ClearPath Society® Member, who’s ran for a few elected offices, and in doing so, made sure his picture was everywhere and it was known he was a dentist. I can’t help but think all the marketing we did for his practice and he did for his political contest, helped both tremendously.

How many dentists have been PAID by NASA? I’m guessing zero. That alone does something for improving credibility. It also goes without saying you’re very, very bright. There is an opportunity here for Dr. Kin and the others who entered and won the contest to take this bit of fun news and run with it.

From a local marketing perspective, now Dr. Kin can claim, “As seen on NPR, ABC and NASA!” I’d also create a press release, “Local Dentist Helps Solve Vexing NASA Waste Problem,” or something like that. Don’t think that won’t get picked up by local media!

There is so much that can be done with this kind of opportunity, it’d be horrible to waste it! Get it? Waste it?

If you’d like to discover more interesting and fun ways to leverage your past time or passion in marketing your practice, join me at the next Jerry Jones Direct New Patient Extravaganza.

Info @ http://busydentist.com